The Kingdom of Helvore (Helvoran: La Roiséaux d'Elvoir, IPA: /læ 'rwæziɛɞ dɛl'vwæ/), is a sovereign nation in Western Europe, consisting of a mainland European territory and several overseas colonies in Polynesia and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The European component of Helvore, referred to as the Kingdom of Greater Helvore (Helvoran: La Roiséaux d'Elvoir Exoupe, IPA: /læ 'rwæziɛɞ dɛl'vwæ ɛk'zup/), forms a land border between Brittany (France) in the North-East, the United Kingdom in the north, the Republic of Mastenburg in the north-west, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Spain (across the Straight of Grenliviche) to the South, and the Aquitanian Sea to the East. Greater Helvore has a landmass of 312,896 kilometres squared, making it the ninth largest country in Europe, and the 69th largest in the world. The population of greater Helvore, according to the 2016 census, was 32,846,312, thus making it the 10th most populous nation in Europe. Politically, Helvore is a Bayerist Constitutional Monarchy, historically formed at the end of the Helvoran Civil War (1666-1674), and is headed by a monarch ruling from the capital and cultural-economic centre of the nation, Rossterre (Helvoran: Roixterre, IPA: /Rwætεɹ/).

The first records of human settlement in the Helvoran peninsular are dated to the mid-Iron age, despite contemporary anthropology having dated the initial arrival of humans to the peninsular to be at least 1.6 million years ago. Roman documentation from the early 2nd century BCE identified two major ethno-linguistic groups in what is now the Kingdom of Helvore - the Rhythii from the north, and the Aelvors from the south.

What is contemporary Helvore was annexed into the Roman Empire in the early 1st century CE, where it would continue to be amalgamated into Roman culture until the evacuation of the Romans in Helvore in the 5th century. Helvore experienced a fragmentation into numerous smaller kingdoms throughout the Dark Ages, which would remain largely at war with each other until the unification of Helvore in the 10th century. The Kingdom of Helvore was officially declared on the 17th of July, 950, which Richarde I, king of the Kingdom of Aelvore, managed to form after decades of diplomatic union and military action.

Throughout the early Middle Ages, Helvore continued to assimilate a growing sense of national identity as the Kingdom of Helvore grew to occupy almost the entire Helvoran Peninsular. With the rise of Protestantism in Germany, Helvore experienced a Reformation, resulting in the establishment of the Soliterist Church, a major Protestant denomination which continues to this day. After experiencing the Helvoran Renaissance, Helvore began a series of military expansions eventuating in the establishment of the continental First Helvoran Empire, which expanded as far east as the Rhine River in Germany. Following a rebellion of the French people, the Helvoran empire collapsed in the early 17th century.

As a result of increased tensions between the proletariat and bourgeois, poor harvest, and the failure of the First Helvoran Empire, Helvore errupted in a revolution in 1664, culminating in the execution of King Thomas VI and the establishment of the Helvoran Republic in 1666. The ensuing Civil War culminated in the establishment of the Bayerist Kingdom of Helvore, and was declared on the 11th of August, 1674.

Following a period of relative peace, Helvore came under the influence of Napoleon Bonaparte in the Decade of Darkness from 1804 to 1815. Following the Treaty of Paris in 1824, Helvore and France entered a political agreement which formed the joint Franco-Helvoran Empire, establishing many of Helvore's overseas colonies, and ending in 1872. After the Mastenburgian Revolution of 1901 and two world wars, Helvore entered a period of economic growth and progress which eventuated in Helvore becoming the nation it is today.

Throughout the History of Helvore, Helvore has been one of Europe's leading centers for economical, philosophical, and cultural advancements. Today, Helvore's rich history has lead it to having the fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe, and Helvore's economy is the tenth largest globally.

Demographically, Helvore enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world, and was ranked the fourth most peaceful nation in the world in the 2015 Global Peace Index. Helvore became part of the European Union on the 13th of January, 1998, and is also part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the UN Security Council, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Contents

Etymology:

The name 'Helvore' is believed to be a derivation of the Latin name for the Helvoran Peninsular, 'Magna Aelvorae' (Greater Aelvoria), which itself means 'Land of the Aelvors', the Aelvors being the name of the historical Celtic people who lived in the south of the Helvoran Peninsular.

The origin of the name Aelvor itself is unclear, although it has been theorized that it comes from the morphology of the Aelvoran words 'Aele', meaning 'Home', and 'Vorhkhln', which is thought to mean 'Place of the People'. Thus, 'Aelvor' means 'Home of the people'. A secondary theory proposes that Aelvor comes from the word 'Elvorr', a possible derivation of 'Elohs' (Birth, or Origin), and 'Vorh', which is thought to mean 'Place'. Thus, Elvorr could mean 'Origin Place', or 'Birth Place'. However, despite these two theories, it is uncertain as to the actual origin of the name of the Aelvor People.

Prehistory

The first evidence of Human settlement in what is now the Kingdom of Helvore date from sometime around 1.6 million years BCE. Evidence of the presence of early Humans in the form of small tools and stone devices indicate that society was mostly tribal-orientated, and lived in a period of relative geographical volatility. By the end of the most recent Ice Age, however, modern Humans had out-competed other proto-human species and were the sole residents of the Helvoran Peninsular.

The first written records of contemporary Helvoran civilisation are dated from the mid-Iron age, with the presence of the Aele-la Téne Celtic culture. With the discovery of the vast metal resources in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range and Western Dividing Range, Helvoran cultures began to develop more complicated metalworking techniques and tools, with many evidential remains from tombs and religious sites been found throughout Helvore, including, most notably, in Du Mere and Asseu.

Antiquity

Prior to the Roman invasion of Helvore by Diacrondius Caeser, a distant nephew of Julius Caeser, in the early 1st century CE, the Helvoran peninsular was occupied by three distinct socio-linguistic groups with their own independent cultures - the Aelvorae, Rhythii, and Bykelai, with the two former cultures becoming what would eventually become the Kingdom of Helvore.

These cultures had a tribal society, orientated around a small village community headed by a Chieftan or Elder. Evidence dating as far back as the 6th century BCE demonstrates that the Aelvors had significant metalworking abilities, developing from the extensive mineral resources found in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range.

After the conquest of Gaul in the late 2nd century BCE, the Roman Empire turned their attention to the Helvoran Peninsular, whose large mineral deposits had brought the Celtic tribes their a great deal of wealth. In 21 CE, the Roman general Diacrondius Caeser launched the first offensive military excursion into Rhythii territory. The lack of any real political or military centralisation amongst Celtic Helvoran tribes meant that the Roman Empire had annexed all of the Helvoran peninsular (apart from the naturally fortified Bykalic Region in the north-west) by 45 CE.

The Romans divided the Helvoran Peninsular into two major provinces - Aelvorae Inferior in the south and east of the Helvoran peninsular, and Rhythia in the north. With growing concerns over revolution amongst Celtic tribes, the Roman empire displaced many of the previous inhabitants of the Peninsular, using many of them as a slave labour force in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range. However, the disbandment of many tribes meant that Helvoran Celtic culture was further dispersed, allowing for the rapid formation of a joint Romo-Aelvoran Culture.

From c430-451 CE, Roman control of the Helvoran peninsular began to weaken as Roman forces were relocated to Gaul and Italy to defend the Huns and other invading northern communities. By 451 CE, as the Roman Empire verged on collapse, Helvore was abandoned as Roman forces retreated to Gaul. With the sudden disappearance of any major political force, the Helvoran peninsular fragmented into numerous independent Kingdoms, collectively referred to as the Aeletic Kingdoms, who would continue to not be unified until well into the 10th century.

Dark Ages

Following the immediate fall of the Roman Empire, several distinct political powers began to immerge around Roman settlements throughout the Helvoran peninsular as military figures seized control. Over the course of the 5th and 6th centuries, these particular groups grew into larger Kingdoms, forming the first 'Aeletic Kingdoms'.

King Richarde the Great, the first monarch of the Kingdom of Helvore. Circa 993 AD.

Until the invasion of Charlemagne in 771, the Helvoran peninsular remained not unified as many of the small Aeletic Kingdoms warred amongst themselves, failing to establish any political system of real sustenance which could allow for the growth of an empire. At the time, borders between kingdoms were fluid and changed frequently.

In 643 CE, Verciceris II, leader of the Saignvalourian Aelvors, attempted a military conquest of Eastern Helvore through the commencement of the First Aeletic War. After defeating Syrious of Toure in 644, Verciceris managed to unify much of the northern Aquitanian coast under the Saignvalourian Dynasty, which would continue to rule many of the kingdoms of south-eastern Helvore for the next millennia through client states and dynastic inheritance. Helvore would later grow from one of these Saignvalourian Kingdoms, that of Aelvoria.

Following the establishment of the Carolingian Dynasty in Francia, Charlemagne began a military attack in Northern Helvore, managing to absorb many Northern Aeletic Kingdoms into the Frankish Empire. By the time of the Treaty of Verdun in 843, much of North-Eastern Helvore was annexed into West Francia, which it remained part of until the unification of Helvore in the 10th century.

In the early 10th century, the King of the Kingdom of Aelvoria, Richarde I, formed a political agreement with the various other kings of the descended states of the Saignvalourian Empire, known as the Aelvoran Union of Kings. This Union, which itself controlled most of the south-east of the Helvoran peninsular, would continue to grow in both political and diplomatic alliance and military action under the leadership of Richarde I to form an ever-expansive political force in Eastern Helvore.

By 950 CE, after realising the necessity of a competent, sizable political entity in the Helvoran peninsular, the Aelvoran Union of Kings unified to form the officially declared Kingdom of Helvore on the 17th of July, 950 CE. This Kingdom would then continue to expand its borders, eventually controlling almost all of the Helvoran peninsular by the 14th century.

Late Middle Ages

Following the establishment of the Kingdom of Helvore in the mid 10th century, successive rulers continued to consolidate control and political power over the Helvoran peninsular. Between the 11th and 16th centuries, Helvore would continue to slowly develop economically, using Feudalism as its primary political construct, but would also develop a stronger linguistic and national identity as the Helvoran language was unified, and the Kingdom of Helvore expanded.

Soliterists being burned at the stakes as heretics during the Grenlivichian Inquisition of 1530

After the rise of Protestantism in Germany in the early 16th century, Helvore experienced a religious Reformation which would eventuate in the creation of Soliterism, the protestant religion of contemporary Helvore. After increased impositions of the Catholic Church on Helvore, including the forced creation of a Helvoran Inquisition in the south of the country; as well as the rise of German protestant ideals as promoted by Martin Luther, St. Soléte de Crimse, a monk from the Helvoran city of St. Crimse (then known as Saignier), began preaching against the idea of absolute biblical truth. Within Saignier, he began to develop a religious following around his 'new Catholicism' which promoted interpretive discussion during mass guided by a priest rather than listening and adhering to absolute religious dictation.

As the Reformation concluded, a renaissance occurred in Helvore, as the wars of past centuries ended and science and the arts flourished under a new era of peace. Helvore began to develop a greater cultural scene, becoming a European center for Philosophy, Music, and the Arts.

A rough map of the First Helvoran Empire at its greatest territorial height in 1598

Shortly after, towards the end of the sixteenth century, king Maximilian III began a military campaign in Western Europe, establishing what would become the First Helvoran Empire in 1558. Territorial wars in Brittany and other parts of Northern France lead to the War of Normandie in 1559, as the expanding Helvoran empire met resistance in France.

By 1598, after continual wars, annexations, and diplomatic alliances, the First Helvoran Empire reached its greatest extent under the rule of king Thomas V (King Thomas the Conqueror), expanding from the west coast of France to the German city of Hamburg. However, military resistance in France between 1604 and 1612 led to the gradual collapse of the First Helvoran Empire, as territory was reclaimed, poor harvest led to famine, and morale began to deteriorate. By 1652, Helvore's size had fallen to only occupying the Helvoran Peninsular, Brittany, and a small part of England and Normandy. The fall of the First Helvoran Empire, increased financial divide between Helvoran citizens, and food shortage greatly contributed to the Helvoran revolution which followed in 1664.

Helvoran Revolution and Civil War

With the ever-growing gap between the aristocracy and the lower classes, food shortages due to bad harvest, and economical strain in Helvore due to the fall of the First Helvoran Empire, rioting and protests against the ruling bourgeois began appearing throughout the country. On the 13th of June, 1664, protests in the Helvoran city of La Berge against the aristocracy resulted in a mass-massacre known as the La Berge Massacre, in which king Thomas VI killed all of the insurgents of the city. This sparked further riots throughout much of Helvore, as tensions and violence grew in towns, cities, and rural communities between the aristocracy and the lower classes, who rallied around the idea of a Republic.

The Assemblie de Chateux Louvret in August, 1664. Painted by Auguste Rémires, 1775.

In August, 1664, Sébastian de Gallonterre, leader of the insurgent group, arranged a meeting of royals and peasant representatives from all parts of Helvore, equally proportioned according to population of clergy, aristocracy, and peasants. However, at the last minute the meeting time was changed by the King, and only twelve of the original four hundred peasants could attend. Thus, the aristocracy won the vote cast during this meeting, the Assemblie de Chateaux Louvret, and the insurgents left only more bitter. The original twelve members of the Assemblie de Chateaux Louvret then took an oath, known as Letre Déclaration du le Vallois princépal de une Natione avoise liberté (English: The Declaration of the Principle Values of a Free Nation), often shortened to Le Vallois Princépal, in which they outlined all that they strove to achieve in their revolution against the oppressive upper classes.

Meanwhile, in La Berge, revolutionaries began rallying around the ideas of the political philosopher Jules-Alexandre Bayereux, whose new political system, the Bayerist Constitutional Monarchy, proposed that, rather than establish a republic, wherein bureaucracy can cloud the true ambitions of the people, a monarchy remain, although with its sovereign limited by a fundamental constitution, enforced by a non-political police and/or military force. The idea quickly grew more popular among the Helvoran population, and it was soon adopted as the new primary objective of the Revolutionary Union, rather than a Republic.

By late 1664, the Helvoran Revolution had truly begun. Planned rebellions and riots were staged by the Revolutionary Union in various Helvoran cities, centered in La Berge, aiming to at first threaten the aristocracy with the consequences of their demands not being met. After the growing insanity of king Thomas VI led to him ordering the massacres of thousands of citizens and deprivation of most of their food, tensions increased, as plans for made for the revolutionaries to take control of their country by force.

Artistic Interpretation of the Battle of Roixterre (Painted 1794)

As the Revolutionaries advanced towards Vertrailles (IPA: /vɜr 'tʀaɪ ɪl/), then the capital of Helvore (now in modern-day Rossterre), the Revolutionary Union also began to fissure, as revolutionaries wanting a Republic (Republicans) and a Bayerist Monarchy (Bayerists) began to schism. By 1665, the revolution had three distinct belligerents: the Republicans, the Bayerists, and the Royalists.

On the 6th of October, 1666, after over two years of bitter fighting, Vertrailles was stormed by over thirty thousand peasants, where they found and executed Thomas VI. In the confusion immediately following the death of the King, Sébastian de Gallonterre seized control, declaring a Helvoran Republic with himself as 'inevitably elected' president, despite the fact that many of the peasants storming the city were in fact Bayerists, and opposed the idea of a Republic.

Despite being met by immediate opposition, de Gallonterre managed to remain in control for the next eight years, during which he initially provided many of the basic needs to the hungry population. Competing political interests led to the factionalism of states, aligning as either Bayerist, Republican, or Royalist, and increased political instability and tensions.

Depiction of the Second Storming of Vertrailles in August, 1675.

In early 1667, Édouard Rouelle, a supporter of the Bayereux System, launched a revolt against de Gallonterre in Rossterre. This is considered by many historians to be the first act of the Helvoran Civil War. Rouelle and his followers established a movement based in the Helvoran city of St. Crimse advocating and rebelling against RepublicanSébastian de Gallonterre. After eight years of progressively more violent behaviors, culminating in Red Day, on the 13th of October, 1674, Rouelle overthrew de Gallonterre, and, in a sudden grab for power, declared himself dictatorial president of Helvore.

After tensions between former belligerents of the Helvoran Civil War began to settle down in the years immediately following, Helvore began to undergo new scientific, artistic, and technological advancements as it entered the Enlightenment. A period of relative peace allowed for the gradual secularisation of state, and the rebuilding of the Helvoran economy.

By the late eighteenth century, Helvore once again developed imperial interests, and launched a military campaign into France, resulting in both the establishment of the Second Helvoran Empire (1772-1801) and the Second Franco-Helvoran War (1789-1799), which lasted during the French Revolution. After the rapid deterioration in the diplomatic relationship between France and Helvore in the late 18th century and the end of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Helvore, beginning the "Decade of Darkness" of Napoleonic occupation between 1804 to 1815.

A painting depicting Napoleon standing in front of the Royal Palace in Vertrailles, victorious after conquering Helvore during the Decade of Darkness.

Napoleon launched his first military excursion into North-Eastern Helvore in 1804, quickly managing to annex the entire Helvoran peninsular by 1805. Helvore joined the Forth Coalition against France in 1805 in an attempt to evict Napoleon, but after the attempt failed, continued to rebel against the French in the Third Revolution. After leading the failed Fifth Coalition against France in 1808, Helvore launched the Third Franco-Helvoran War in a full out military conflict between Helvore and the French Armies, which did not succeed. Helvore would not be rid of Napoleonic occupation until the Sixth Coalition, led by Britain, defeated the French at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Napoleon was evicted from Helvore, and the Decade of Darkness ended with Helvore's liberation.

After a period of moderate peace between 1815 and 1823, Helvore once again returned to its ambition to reconquer France, starting the Fourth Franco-Helvoran War, led by the legendary general Achilles de Montserrat. After advancing as far as Paris, France and Helvore signed the Treaty of Paris in April, 1827, ending the war and promising to rebuild French and Helvoran diplomatic relations. Over the course of the next few decades, Helvore experienced an Industrial Revolution, and continued to strengthen its relationship with France.

In 1852, France and Helvore entered an imperial alliance, forming the Franco-Helvoran Empire (also less commonly referred to as the Third Helvoran Empire or the Second French Colonial Empire), primarily for France to develop a more sizable overseas colonial territorial hold and for Helvore a greater continental one. The Empire was greatly successful, conquering much of north-western Africa, a few Caribbean Islands, parts of South America, Canada, Polynesia, the Middle East, Indo-China, and some parts of India. In Europe, the joint Empire annexed most of the Low Lands, some parts of Germany, and some parts of Northern Spain. After the Prussian Wars of 1870-1871, the Franco-Helvoran Empire divided in accordance with the Division of Brest, with France controlling the Empire's north-west African and Asian territories, and Helvore its American, south African, and Polynesian colonial assets.

The late 19th century saw a Helvoran Belle Époque with few international or internal conflicts in the country. Helvore continued to develop industrially, and saw a flourishing of the Arts, science, and particularly literature, with three of Helvore's Big Four authors - Eric Ravel, Julian de Rise, and Alexandre Dmitriov all writing during this period.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Helvoran state of Mastienne (what is now the Republic of Mastenburg) revolted against Helvoran control in the Mastenburgian Revolution of 1901, a bloody series of conflicts which eventuated in the separation of Mastenburg from Helvore and the establishment of the Republic of Mastenburg, which would continue to have a bloody and complex relationship with Helvore and itself for the remainder of the 20th century.

An Image of Helvoran Soldiers during the First World War, Circa. 1916

World Wars

During the First World War, Helvore was part of the Quadruple Entente, along with Russia, the United Kingdom, and France. Helvoran soldiers were sent to the French and Belgian borders with Germany to help combat the German Invasion, however, Helvore was not invaded during the first world war, and emerged victorious at the end of the war along with the other allied powers.

At the commencement of the Second World War, Helvore was greatly involved in the ultimately futile defense of the French border. In 1940, the Nazi Regime invaded and occupied the Kingdom of Helvore, steadily gaining territory until 1941, when the German's annexed almost all of the entire country after occupying Rossterre. A small region in Astonbury and Rhythe remained an independent resistant Kingdom of Helvore, and was greatly aided by British forces as a final defense against the Germans from the British Peninsular.

In 1943, when the German occupation of Helvore significantly weakened due to a need for greater distribution of troops, the Helvoran enclave along the British border began to slowly reclaim their former territory, eventually reclaiming Rossterre by 1944. At the end of the Second World War, Helvore became one of the six permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, despite suffering heavy casualties and economic depression immediately following the war.

Helvore suffered a minor depression immediately after the end of the Second World War, however, as Helvore entered the late 20th century, it found a period of great economic growth, skyrocketing it to being the third strongest economy in Europe by the 21st century.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Helvore was heavily involved in the demilitarisation of the Republic of Mastenburg and the ending of the Tobias Dictatorship with the Mastenburgian Conflicts of 1990-1993 and the proxy Ross-Thyrbourg Crisis of 1989-1991. By the turn of the 21st century, Helvore once again had amicable relations with Mastenburg, and the two countries have seen continued political and economic progression since.

Since then, Helvore has come to know one of the highest standards of living in the world and was ranked 4th on the 2016 Global Peace Index. In 1998, Helvore joined the European Union and officially adopted the Euro as its new currency.

Geography:

The Kingdom of Greater Helvore is located west of Brittany (France), where it curves upwards to meet the English border. Stretching from the English county of Devon south-west along the Strait of Astonbury (Helvoran: Chanson d'Astonbury), the north Helvoran coastline levels out before reaching the Helvoran border with Mastenburg, that being the westernmost point of both Helvore and the Helvoran Peninsular.

Helvore then continues to stretch farther south, running as a parallel peninsular with France and the Aquitanian Sea (Helvoran: L'ere Aquitaine), and the Atlantic Ocean (Helvoran: L'Océane Atlantique), eventually meeting at the Straight of Grenliviche (Helvoran: Chanson de Grenliviche), a small channel between Helvore and Northern Spain. To the east of Helvore lies a small semi-inland sea, known as the Aquitanian Sea. To the east of the capital, Rossterre, lies Helvore's largest island, Erinier, in the Aquitanian Sea. As a result of Helvore's location, it lies within the Northern Temperate zone.

From North-East to North-West, Helvore shares borders with the Republic of France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Republic of Mastenburg (Helvoran: La République de Fransaise, La Roiséaux Unie de Brittaine Exoupe á Eirelande, and La République de Mastienne respectively).

View of Mont Paigneux, Helvore's tallest mountain, in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range

In total, the area of all of the Kingdom of Helvore and its overseas regions spans 701,812 kilometers squared, including a wide array of terrains, containing regions of arid, sub-tropical, island, arctic and temperate climates. Helvoran territory also has a vast array of different topographical environments, including mountainous, arid, oceanic, deciduous and coniferous woodland, rain forest, and grassland.

Environment:

A Photograph of 'Le Haraise', a mountain valley in Entriffe, Helvore.

Globally, the Kingdom of Helvore is one of the most environmentally protected nations on Earth. Having established the Ministrie Nationale de l'Environmente d'Elvoir in early 1974, following in the footsteps of France, Helvore has since developed substantial renewable energy production sources, and up to 54% of its energy consumption is provided by wind energy, the chief energy provider in the Kingdom of Helvore.

The Plan Nationale des Émissiones de l'Environmente á Protectione de la Vallois (often referred to as the EEP-V) was introduced in late 2009 in order to reduce Helvoran carbon emissions by 25%, which has been imposed upon Helvoran business with the introduction of a controversial carbon tax, which charges €95 per cubic tonne of emission Carbon. This is hoped to drastically reduce the Helvoran Carbon Footprint by 2025.

Vernoites de Caliphe, St. Xaviere, Erinier, is a perfect example of the typical Helvoran woodland found throughout the country.

Environmentally, Helvore has some of the most stunning mountain ranges in Western Europe, something which the country is famous for. The Great Helvoran Mountain Range, spanning from the French border to Grenliviche, has some of the most diverse alpine environments in the world.

Approximately 32% of Helvore is made up of woodland, with up to 26% of that woodland protected by national parks. Helvoran forests contain some of the most diverse species of deciduous woodland animals and plants in Western Europe.

The 2014 Environmental Performance Index, conducted by the American universities of Yale and Columbia, placed Helvore as the third most environmentally conscious nation in the World, behind only Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Political and Administrative Divisions:

The Kingdom of Helvore is divided into five echelons of administrative division. The highest of these is the Arch-Duchy (Helvoran: Grande-Duceu), of which there are thirteen, six of which are overseas territories. The thirteen Grand-Duchies of Helvore are as follows:

Each of these states is then further divided into several Marquiseus (Singular: Marquiseu), of which there are 120 in Greater Helvore alone. Each individual Marquiseu is again divided into a Barondeu, of which there are 243 in Greater Helvore. A Barondeu is then again divided into a Viscounté, of which there are approximately 1,000 in Greater Helvore. A Viscounté is once more divided to form a Counté, which are also further divided into metropolitan principalities called Arrédismentes (Singular: Arrédismente). Municipalities of large Helvoran cities or towns may also be divided further into multiple Municipal Arréndismentes.

Each echelon of the administrative hierarchy is also headed by an aristocrat associated with the governing of that specific area. These nobles were historically hereditary, with titles passed along families, although over the course of the past century many lower nobles have become elective positions.The levels of aristocracy, and the realms which they govern, are shown in the table below:

Overseas Territories:

In addition to the states mentioned above of Greater Helvore, there are also a number of overseas territories under control of the Kingdom of Helvore. These are as follows, elaborating upon their name, constitutional status, and capital:

Government:

The Kingdom of Helvore is a Bayereux Constitutional Monarchy, meaning that the nation’s head of state is a king or queen, who follows the laws of a constitution and oversees the passing of bills, ruling the country, and upholding the traditional values of the monarchy throughout Helvore.

The King (or Queen) is the superior member of the National Congress of Helvore (Helvoran: La Congress Nationale d’Elvoir), that being the Helvoran equivalent of parliament. The Congress itself, which is made up of 355 members (the Grand Chancellor, the King's Chancellor, fourteen members for each state of Greater Helvore [not including Tosque], and eleven for each overseas territory), votes for all national proceedings, thus forming a partially democratic governmental system.

The members of the National Congress of Helvore are divided into the twenty-two states (not including Tosque, as it is a special administrative division) of Greater Helvore, each having fourteen members. Of these fourteen members, one is the Duke of the state, three are randomly-selected citizens, as each citizen of Greater Helvore is required to serve in Congress at least one day every thirty years. The remaining ten members are the ten Ministers of State, which are as follows:

Minister of Finance (Minéstaire d’Économie)

Minister of Education (Minéstaire d’Équaisent)

Minister of the Environment (Minéstaire de l’Environmente)

Minister of Cultural Development (Minéstaire de Devlopmente Culturale)

Of the 270 ministers, of which there are ten for each state and overseas territory, the Grand Chancellor or King may select or hold an election for certain members to form part of a governmental committee (called an 'assembly') for various departments of government.

The meeting hall for the Helvoran Congress of Assemblies, where all members of the ministerial assemblies come together to discuss national issues.

There are a total of 13 assemblies, each of which may between nine to fifteen ministers. One of these ministers is then elected as the Grand-Minéstaire for that particular assembly, and is then admitted into the Assemblie Nationale de la Roix(King's National Assembly), which acts as the King's cabinet. These Assemblies are as follows:

Assembly for Finance (Assemblie d'Économie)

Assembly for Education and Training (Assemblie d'Équaisent á Éduer)

Assembly for Energy and the Environment (Assemblie d'Energie á l'Environmente)

Assembly for Cultural Development (Assemblie de Dévelopmente Culturale)

Assembly for Transport and Infrastructure (Assemblie de Transporte á Infrastructure)

Each individual minister of state is democratically elected by the population of each state. Most ministers serve a four year term, although are not limited to a certain number of terms. The National Congress of Helvore is also headed by the Grand Chancellor of Helvore, who is effectively the prime minister. The Grand Chancellor is also elected and serves a minimum four year term, and is responsible for the overall functioning of parliament. The current Grand Chancellor is Pierre-Alexandre Biscelle, who has been Grand Chancellor since 2011.

The National Congress also possesses a King (or Queen's) Chancellor, whose role is to represent the King when he is not present, and also to order parliament, acting effectively as a speaker. The Chancellor is not elected, but voted upon by the Congress as one of several candidates selected by the King (or Queen). The current Chancellor is Juliette du Boise, and has been Chancellor since 2011.

Law:

Cover of the 'Journal Elvoir des Jurisdictiones' for February, 2017, where all new bills are published for the public to see.

The Kingdom of Helvore utilises a civil legal system, in which law is primarily derived from written documentation, with these codified laws to be interpreted, rather than created, by an adjudicator. The principle laws that form the basis of the Helvoran legal system are outlined in Letre Déclaration du le Vallois princépal de une Natione avoise liberté (English: The Declaration of the Principle Values of a Free Nation), with the main philosophy behind the creation of law being that the law itself benefit the majority of the population, rather than a single entity (as had often been the case prior to the Helvoran revolution), and the said law have benefits which outweigh the costs.
Helvoran law is divided into three jurisdictional sectors: Civil Law, Criminal Law, and Political Law. Civil Law is chiefly concerned with the individual rights of citizens, whilst criminal law is associated with crimes, and political law with the violation of both administrative and/or constitutional law. Each law, depending on its circle of influence (ie, local or national), may be proposed by a relevant administrative division (usually the National Congress of Helvore), and then voted upon. With the final consent of the monarch and a general election (if relevant), the law is officially published in the Journal Elvoir des Jurisdictiones (English: Helvoran Journal of Legal Affairs).

The Helvoran jurisdictional system is based on three Courten-Grande (Grand-Courts), the Lower Court, the Upper Court, and the Royal Court (Helvoran: Courte-Loure, Courte-Ouvres, and Courte-Royale respectively), which address crimes of different severity. For example, petty theft would be handled in the Courte-Loure, whilst a murder would be judged in the Courte-Ouvres, and treason would be judged in the Courte-Royale. Each individual Courte-Grande is also divided into three sections, Civil, Criminal, and Political, according to which legal branch they belong, thus meaning there are nine court types in Helvore. Of these courts, there exist numerous Courtes-Loure regionally, and most cities will possess a few. The Courtes-Royale, effectively acting as a supreme court, are found in the country's capital of Rossterre.

The Kingdom of Helvore does not recognise religious laws as a motivation for crime against the state or other citizens, and no longer considers certain crimes of blasphemy or sodomy as criminal. Same-sex marriage and adoption was legalised in 1974, and freedom of speech is allowed to some extent, although hate speech has not been permitted since 1894. Racism and religious prejudice (including antisemitism) have been prohibited since 1962 and 1959 respectively.

Anti-refugee demonstrators in La Tourine, Eastern Helvore. The Refugee Crisis has been a major issue of contention in Helvore in recent years.

Immigration Laws require that new immigrants must oblige to the cultural traditions, language, and laws of Helvore, although allow for the freedom of religion. Helvore has been criticised by other members of the European Union in recent years for its particularly tough Immigration Laws, particularly with the onset of the European Refugee Crisis.

Religious Law in Helvore is controversial, as certain religious groups have been recently deemed 'inappropriate', contrary to laws originally described in le Vallois princépal, which promotes religious freedom. Recent socio-religious tensions, particularly with Islamic groups, have led to the wearing face-covering veils, conspicuous religious symbols, and the following of government-deemed ‘cults’ to be illegal. Whilst controversial, these laws a supported by the majority of the Helvoran population.

Military:

The Helvoran Armed Forces (Helvoran: Forcen Arméë d’Elvoir), are the military forces of Helvore, led by the King of Helvore and Minéstaire Nationale de les Militoires (English: National Minister of the Military) as the Genérale Supréme (Supreme General). The Helvoran Military is in turn made up of five sectors, which are as follows:

Government Finance:

At the end of every financial year, the Helvoran government is required to release a national budget in which it is outlined how the government will attempt to alleviate debt, fund social welfare projects, and its proposed spending in each governmental sector.

With the release of the Bougét Nationale des Ambitiones Financiale- 2016in June, 2016, mild austerity measures were introduced in order to attempt to compensate and restore the Helvoran budget deficit by 2019 through the reduction of monetary input into social welfare, raising the retirement age to 65 rather than 60, and increasing taxation amongst its wealthiest citizens.

As of 2016, Helvoran government debt levels reached 1.9 billion Euros, approximately 37% of the Helvoran GDP, meaning Helvore has the 11th smallest debt in Europe.

Foreign Relations:

Arvo Le Blanque, Helvore's Grand Minister of Foreign Affairs, at a United Nations Security Council meeting in 2016.

The Kingdom of Helvore was one of the first members of the United Nations, and along with France, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States, form the permanent six members of the United Nations Security Council. Helvore joined the European Union in 1998

Helvore is also a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the North Atlantic Treaty Association (NATO), and the Association des Nationes Elvoirephonie (ANE), the Helvoran equivalent of the French Francophonie, which consists of all Helvoran-speaking nations of the world.

Since the Second World War, Helvore’s relationship with other European nations has strengthened, particularly with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Low Lands, and the Republic of Rozhon.

Helvore greatly opposed against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, straining its relations with other nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Since the beginning of the invasion, Helvore has ceased its supply of any military forces into the Middle East, straining its relationship with the USA. Helvore's relationships with the USA have also further suffered with the election of Donald Trump, who, in a meeting with Andreux I, publicly declared him a coward.

Helvore continues to retain a strong economic and political influence in some former overseas territories of Helvore, particularly in Africa and the Caribbean, assisting with the establishment of democratic governments their. In Helvoran South Africa, Helvore began a scheme in the 1980s in which it was to gradually ween funding and support from the newly established republic, supporting infrastructure development and education, which was to end in 2015. It did so with success, and Helvore now has excellent relations with Helvoran South Africa.

In 2013, Helvore was the largest aid donor to overseas development aid, donating $38.612 billion USD, primarily focusing on humanitarian projects in Africa and Southern Asia. The main ambitions, as described by Queen Eloise III, chiefly responsible for the development fund, were “To provide access to the health care and education, and the development of a more stable economical and socio-political environment in which these nations can develop to form a civil habitat for their people, and thus to allow for the contribution and advancement of the human race”.

Economy:

The Helvoran Economy is largely mixed, and is one of the largest economies in Europe, having a nominal GDP of 1.931 trillion USD. With mining as the largest economic sector of Helvore, most of the nations GDP is derived through the selling of minerals and gold, which exist in a great multitude in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range and other mountain ranges in Helvore. As well as this, tourism and agriculture also make up the chief sectors of the Helvoran economy.

The majority of businesses in Helvore are privately-owned, however, the Helvoran government has significantly sized companies in every industrial sector, including the Nationale Institution des Telécommunicationen d'Elvoir, that being Helvore's telecommunications service, Air Helvoreand all national banks and insurance companies. Despite slowly selling off sections of these state institutions, however, Helvore retains a firm policy against corporatism, and in 1951, with the signing of the State-Instigated Economy Bill, all insurance and banking companies were forced to become part of the state. As a result, Helvoran banks do not charge interest rates but hold austere payment laws, which have caused some controversy, but have lead to a stronger Helvoran economy.

Photograph of a large-scale silver mine in Entriffe, the state in which over 80% of Helvore's mining occurs.

Mining:

Mining is the largest sector of the Helvoran economy, and is estimated to provide for about 54% of the GDP per annum. Rich mineral expansions of gold, diamond, silver, bronze, copper, and nickel found in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range are exported globally from Helvore. Up to 4.2% of the Helvoran population (approximately 100,000 people) are employed in the mining industry, and most of the Helvoran mining companies are state owned, including L'Institution des Meteux d'Elvoir, Meteux Elvoir Co.and Villiers Meteux, which account for 62% of Helvoran Mining Companies together.

In 1976, at the brink of environmental collapse as a result of extensive mining in the Great Helvoran Mountain Range, the Helvoran government passed its infamous Villiers Bill, in which 70% of unsoiled mine reserves were protected as environmental reserves. The focus of the bill was to begin a shift in Helvore's economy from the unsustainable mining industry to other exports. Since then, Helvore's mining industry has gone from being over 80% of the National GDP to just over 54% in forty years.

Tourism:

Image of 'La Muséë Nationale d'Elvoir', the largest museum in the world.

In 2016, Helvore was ranked the ninth most visited nation in the world (after the United Kingdom), with 30.5 million people visiting that year. Helvore has the fourth largest number of UNESCO world heritage sites in the world, having 42. These include some of the many cathedrals (of which Helvore is famous for), museums, galleries, and palaces littered throughout the country. Helvore's capital, Rossterre, is also home to the world's largest museum, La Muséë Nationale d'Elvoir, which houses some 13,000 artworks, artefacts, and archaeological remains.

Helvore's mountains are also popular global tourist spots, as they are regarded as some of the best ski mountains in the world. Over 20 million people each year visit the Great Helvoran Mountain Range and Great Western Mountains for their excellent conditions for skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and other recreational activities.

Monterre Cathedral in Alliers, northern Helvore, is one of the oldest cathedrals in Europe, being built between 949 and 1016 CE.

Agriculture:

Historically, Helvore has been a large producer of agricultural goods, and overall, the agricultural sector forms 11% of the Helvoran nominal GDP. Much of the southern and central regions of Helvore have large tracts of fertile land, which have been optimised using technology and more viable farming methods to provide food for the Helvoran population.

Guerderlaise, a fortified wine from Erinier, is often considered to be the national drink of Helvore.

Wheat, Barley, and other cereal products form the major exports of Helvoran agriculture. As well as this, like their neighbour France, Helvore has historically been a large producer of wines, including Vaitérouge, a traditional Helvoran red wine from Voulier, as well as Guederlaise, a Helvoran fortified wine which is traditionally seen as a national drink.

Transport:

Train systems stretch throughout most of Helvore, connecting all of its major cities via a speed railway known as the V-Train. The Helvoran railway system is the third largest in Europe, after France and Germany, and also connects Helvore with all its neighbouring countries (France, the United Kingdom and Mästenburg), as well as connecting to Spain through an underground tunnel that spans the Straight of Grenliviche. Subterranean train systems also run through every major city in Helvore, as well as a public bus and taxi service.

A Helvoran V-Train, part of the speed train network which interconnects Helvore's major cities.

Roadways in Helvore span through almost every town and city in the nation, and have substantial national and international traffic upon them. National and State highways run throughout the country, and there are no privately-owned roads, but traffic servicing fees are charged each year as part of an income taxation. The most popular car models in Helvore include the Helvoran car company Luméaire (39% of sold cars), followed by Renault (19%), Peugeot (12%), and Volkswagen (6%).

There are 289 airports in Helvore, of which the largest and busiest is Ventréaux Airport, located west of Rossterre, which has international flights to most other nations in the world. The national airline of Helvore is Air Helvore (Helvoran: Aire Elvoir). There are fourteen major ports in Helvore, of which the largest is Porte Jasonville.

Science:

Portrait of Nikolas Rodzierski, often considered the father of Neuroscience, an enlightenment-era Helvoran scientist.

In the twentieth century, Helvore continued to develop scientifically and technologically along with many other nations in the western world. Famous scientists of this period include the mathematician Henri de Montfort-Paigneux, who pioneered economic theory, Eloise Poirmaite, a chemist, and Klause Teleman, who helped optimise Helvoran technology and energy usage. Helvore joined the European Airbus group when it joined the European Union in January 1998, and has since launched its first space satellite, The Armistice, in November 2015. As of January 2017, 54 Helvorans have received a Nobel Prize, and 7 a Fields Medal.

Demographics:

As of the 2016 census, the population of Helvore was 32,846,312, making it the fortieth most populous nation in the World, behind Morocco, but ahead of Saudi Arabia, and also making it the tenth most populous nation in Europe, behind Poland, but ahead of Romania. Birth rates have been relatively stagnate in Helvore since the end of the baby boom in the early 1970's, with the Helvoran population increasing by approximately 90,000 people per year, a population growth of an average of +0.35% annually. Immigration to Helvore has also helped stimulate the population growth in Helvore significantly, with around 15,000 new immigrants introduced to Helvore between 2015 and 2016.

Ethnicity:

Ethnicity in the Kingdom of Helvore, showing approximate percentages.

Helvore is mostly homogeneous nation, with approximately 89% of the Helvoran population being of the Helvoran ethnic group, which consists of a mixture of Celtic (Aelvoran or Rhythii) and Latin (or Roman) ethnicities. Different regions of Helvore share different ancestry, with many people from the island of Erinier having a distinct Isrian heritage, as well as people from the north-west being influenced by Germanic Bykelei culture.

Immigration over the past several decades have lead to a more diverse society in contemporary Helvore, with an estimated 14% of the population being of non-Helvoran ancestry. Of this 14%, 9% is of other European ancestry (3% Mastenburgian, 2.2% French, 1% Spanish, 0.9% English, and 1.9% other European heritage), 2.3% of North-African Heritage, 1.6% Asian, and 1.1% of other Ethnic heritage.

Despite the growing number of foreign ethnic groups in Helvore, Helvore possesses very tight immigration laws, and thus, immigration rates into the Kingdom of Helvore are significantly lower than its neighbouring countries of France and Mastenburg.

Language:

The official language of the Kingdom of Helvore is Helvoran, a Romance language derived from Latin, and closely related to French. Although there is no officially language institution in Helvore, the Académie de la Documentation de la Langue d'Elvoir(English: Academy for the Documentation of the Helvoran Language), acts as a documentative institution of the evolution of Helvoran as a language since its establishment in 1689, and also as the major linguistic school in Helvore.

Regionally, in Greater Helvore, Helvoran is the primary language of its citizens, with less than 10% of the population having a native language other than Helvoran, and of those less than 0.1% speaking little to no Helvoran at all. In terms of regional dialects and languages, very little derivational languages of Helvoran exist, with the most recent, Thyrbourge, dying out in the early 19th century. As a result, there are no recognised regional or minority languages within Helvore.

In the North-West of Helvore, along its border with Mastenburg, there is a significant population of speakers of Mastenburgian German, however, the language remains unrecognised within Greater Helvore by the Helvoran government.

Legally, the Helvoran government does not regulate the language of publication of individual texts, but Helvoran is required in all commercial and political usages, including, most notably, in business signage and employment advertisements.

As a result of the establishment of the Franco-Helvoran Empire in the nineteenth century, Helvoran became the dominant language in many of its overseas territories, introducing it to Africa, South and North America, and Polynesia. However, several territories formerly under Helvoran control no longer speak Helvoran as an official language, as in New Astonbury, Canada.

Helvoran is still considered an official language in four countries globally (Canada, Saiteroupe, St. Jacob and Ecalladise), and is an unrecognised regional language in both France and Mexico. Globally, there are an estimated 70,000,000 speakers of Helvoran[1], either as a mother-tongue or secondary language.

Religion:

Unlike many other nations in the developed world, Helvore still maintains a relatively strong religious affiliation, with 65% of the population identifying as being Christian Soliterist, that being the official religion of Helvore. Despite this, however, Helvore maintains a strong separation of the Church and the State, and religion is not recognised as a cause for political or criminal motivation.

Religious attendance within the Kingdom of Helvore has declined since the 1950s, with approximately 82% of the population attending mass weekly in 1952, and only 23% attending church as of 2015. Other major religious affiliations within the Kingdom of Helvore include Roman Catholic (13%), Protestantism (6%), Muslim (3%), Buddhism (1%), and atheism (7%).

With the creation of le Vallois princépalduring the Helvoran Revolution, religion has been restricted in Helvore from creating or motivating any national policies, and are legally classified as 'organisations', rather than government-related institutions.

As a result, religious extremists, regardless of religion, still face the full power of the Helvoran law with any religious basis for crime, which is considered to be unacceptable. In addition to this, whilst freedom of religion is allowed within the Kingdom of Helvore, a list of government-selected 'cults', including Scientology, and the Order of the Solar Temple are classified as illegal followings.

Hospitaile de Mont-Christe, a new, government-funded Hospital in the Helvoran City of Alliers.

The Helvoran Health System consists of a basic system of health care, which is provided for free up to a spending of €3,500 of health care per year. After reaching this limit, a systematic percentile deduction of the physician's fare is paid, although this option is possible for a total spending of less than €3,500 per annum. Long-term, non-hospital-bound illness treatment is provided for free, and euthanasia is legal in Helvore.

Obesity is becoming an increasingly common problem amongst Helvoran citizens, and the Helvoran government has launched a very large anti-obesity programme, which has reduced levels of child obesity in Helvore by 53% in the past year alone.

An image of the main campus of l'Universitaite Royale d'Astonbury, located in Astonbury City.

Education:

With the creation of le Vallois princépal during the Helvoran Revolution, education was made compulsory for Helvoran children up to the age of thirteen. In contemporary Helvore, education is now compulsory up to the age of sixteen, and consists of five separate stages of education.

The Helvoran education system, pioneered by the eighteenth century tutor, Pierre de Montréale, consists of five 'schools', or stages of education, which are referred to as First School, Second School, Third School, Fourth School, and University respectively (Helvoran: Équaise Prémiere, Équaise Derriere, Équaise Trentaise, Équaise Vierraise, and Universitaite). Tutorlidge within Helvoran schools is compulsory up to the completion of Fourth School, upon which the student can either enter the work force, go into University, or study at a Technical University (Helvoran: Universitaite Technique), which prepares the student for employment in a trade or apprenticeship.

A typical First School classroom, roughly equivalent to a Kindergarten.

Schooling begins in Helvore at the age of six, with the child's enrolment in First School (Équaise Prémiere), which itself consists of Pré Unne and Pré Doux, taught at the ages of six and seven respectively. Education in the First School is primarily based upon founding basic numerical and literacy skills, and is usually conducted in a monolingual format. First School is additionally non-compulsory, and parent's may choose to not send their children to First School.

At the completion of First School, the student will enter the Second School, which begins at the age of eight, and ends at the age of eleven. It consi

sts of years 1 to 4, and further develops the education given in First School. Second School is also conducted in a bilingual format, with up to 90% of all Helvoran schools having a bilingual curriculum.

Upon the completion of Second School, students enter the Third School, consisting of years 5 to 8, and commencing at the age of twelve. The Third School is again conducted in a bilingual format, and further reinforces and expands upon the knowledge gained in the prior two schools, as well as introducing a more extensive study of the Humanities, technologies, and arts. Students also study a number of elective subjects in years 7 and 8. At the conclusion of the Third School, an examination, known as the EVEA (Équaise Vierraise Éxaminatione de Admissione, or the Fourth School Admission Examination in English), is conducted in order to determine the ability of the student, and to place him/her in the appropriate level classes upon entering the Fourth School.

The Fourth Schoolbegins at the age of sixteen, in year 9, and completes at the age of twenty, in year 12. The academic skill of the student, as predicted by the entrance examination conducted at the end of the Third School, determines whether or not students can take on specific subject, a larger number of elective subjects, and the assistance required for that student (which itself is gauged from 'Specialised Education', for those students who perform at a below average level, 'Regular Education', for those students who perform at an average level, and 'Extended Education', which extends those who can complete a regular education with great ease).

During years 11 and 12, students participate in a programme known as the Helvoran Certificate of Completed Education (Helvoran: Certificaite Elvoire d'Équaise Complétont, or CEÉC), which provides an overall score between 0 and 250.00, with 250.00 being full marks for every examination. The CEÉC consists of four Majors (premieres), including a Helvoran language study, which form the bulk of their score and are electives; at least one Minor (deriere), and at least one Breadth subject, usually an instrument, sport, or additional language. At the end of Year 12, students receive their final CEÉC score, which is used as an admission tool by Helvoran universities, which often have a required score minimum to study certain subjects.

Photograph of students completing one of their final CEÉC examinations.

The vast majority of educational institutions within Helvore are state funded, although the Helvoran government allows for private benefaction of public institutions, meaning that the quality of various public schools can differ. Fee levels range from between €100-400 per annum for First School, €500-2,000 for Second School, €800-3,000 for Third School, and €1,000-5,000 for Fourth School. University course costs can vary vastly depending on the course and university, with a masters level degree ranging from between approximately €750-20,000 depending on the University.

Culture:

The Kingdom of Helvore is quite well renowned globally for the rich cultural heritage and tradition found throughout the country, and is famous for its numerous museums, castles, palaces, and geographical wonders. As a result, since the end of the Helvoran Civil War in the late seventeenth century, Helvoran art, literature, philosophy and music has flourished, producing some of the most well known works in the modern world.

Interior of the Muséë Nationale de Litérature Elvoir (English: National Museum of Helvoran Literature), one of the finest examples of Helvoran museums and architecture.

Cultural development within Helvore is encouraged and managed by the governmental division for cultural development, with each state having a minister for cultural development, who is responsible for the preservation and creation of any new and/or existing historical monuments.

As of 2016, Helvore was the ninth most visited country in the world, behind the United Kingdom, thanks to its many tourist attractions and historical settlements. Each year, an average of 30.5 million tourists visit Helvore, making it the nations second largest industry.

The 31,928 buildings protected as historical or cultural monuments include many residences (such as castles and palaces), religious buildings (such as cathedrals), and museums (including La Muséë Nationale d'Elvoir, that being the largest museum in the world), but also include a number of statues, gardens, memorials and monuments.

Art:

The origins of much of the Helvoran art form are firmly routed in the artistic schools of Italy during the renaissance, as when the First Helvoran Empire expanded throughout much of western Europe throughout the early seventeenth century, Helvore was exposed to newer artistic styles and methods. As a result of this, the earliest Helvoran artists, including namely Michael d'Artaigne (1593-1652) and the Italian-born Leonardo Natali (1590-1641) created largely renaissance-style works, including the ceiling of the Cathedrele de St. Germaine in the Helvoran city of Dryse, that being the most famous example of the Helvoran renaissance school.

Following the end of the Second World War, the Helvoran art schools developed a new artistic movement, known as Pseudo-Abstractism, which itself consisted of interpretive abstract lines and colours, which themselves contained hidden images, often in

Untitled, by Zdzislaw Beksinski, a Polish-born Helvoran surrealist painter renown for his pictures of nightmarish humanoids.

Throughout contemporary Helvore, many museums and artistic galleries exist in order to exhibit both old and new Helvoran art. La Muséë Nationale d'Elvoir (English: National Museum of Helvore), houses some 2,000 paintings of the Helvoran masters, making it one of the largest collections within Helvore. In addition to this, Le Gallerie Malloire (English: Malloire Gallery), is the largest public gallery and art collection in Helvore, housing almost 10,000 works of art.

The Académie Nationale des l'Arten in Dryse, being both the oldest and most well known art school in Helvore, exhibits the artworks of all its students in Le Gallerie des l'Arten Nouveux (English: Gallery of New Art) within Dryse, and gives all modern Helvoran artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell art for free. The Helvoran government also possesses a collection of Helvoran art which it believes to be 'vital for the cultural preservation of Helvore', and which is housed in the Royal Palace in Rossterre.

Literature:

The earliest examples of Helvoran literature are in the form of epic poems recounting tales of classical and folk mythology, and are dated to sometime in the early middle ages. Possibly the most important work of this period, 'l'Aepéʃe de Mantrëvante' (c.1170-1200), believed to have been written by the medieval Helvoran poet Aimende, depicts the quests and travellings of a mythical hero Mantrëvente (contemporary Helvoran spelling: Mentrevente), and is one of the oldest surviving texts in Helvore today.

A more prominent style of Helvoran writing began to emerge in the Renaissance, as the invention of the printing press and presence of a unified Helvoran language allowed for the growth of a larger literary industry. The use of allegory to explain mo

re complex political and religious messages became a prominent characteristic of literature during the 16th century and beyond, being initially championed by the protestant monk St. Soléte de Crimse, whose most famous work, 'l'Enterprétationes de Reynalde' ('The Interpretations of Reynalde), combined dystopian allegory with the values of the newly-born Soliterist Church.

'Je, l'Autre', ('I, the Other' or alternatively 'I, the Outsider') by Eric Ravel is one of the greatest works of Helvoran literature.

Surviving texts from the period indicate Helvoran literature began following a similar path to that of St. Soléte throughout the 17th century, however, with the destruction of many books during the Helvoran Civil War, much of this was lost. In the early 18th century, Helvore experienced a minor romantic movement, spawning such writers as Dorian le Graives, who is one of the most prolific writers of the 18th century. New genres of novels began to appear, with the publication of ''La Figure Noite' ('The Darkened Figure', published 1789) by Dorian le Graives, believed to be the first psychological thriller to be written in Helvore; 'Eure l'Harmonie des Àmmes' ('On the Harmony of Minds', published 1777) by Michael de Louse; and 'l'Ambulente' ('The Ambulant, published 1794) by Duke Louis de Saignerre.

One of the few surviving portraits of St. Soléte de Crimse, perhaps the most important figure of the Helvoran Reformation.

The 17th and 18th centuries brought further philosophical political debate, particular over the effectiveness of the Bayerist System. Helvoran philosophical works on the nature of social liberties and constructs, such as Matthieux de Kente's'Le Righte Divine des Humaines' ('The Divine Right of Man') became heavily influenced by ideas of the French enlightenment as France took a dominant position in the theatre of Western Philosophy.

Following the end of the Decade of Darkness and the period of prosperity throughout the nineteenth century, Helvoran philosophical schools split into two major areas of study - ethics, particularly concerning the judgement and evaluation of so called 'primitive' ethical systems and moral relativism; and political philosophy, particularly over the benefits of democracy over monarchy and the natures of civil liberties. Championed by Helvoran philosophers like Édouarde de Montcrieffe and Raymonde Sechaine, Helvore became an important forum for philosophical discussion during the late 19th century.

Since the end of the Second World War, Helvore has continued to be an important nation in the development of contemporary philosophy, hosting the annual international 'Forum de Philosophie' (FDP) in various Helvoran cities, which invite many leading global philosophers, including Cornel West and Pierre de la Senne among others, to speak and share ideas over a week long conference.

Music:

The Kingdom of Helvore has a long history of music, with its origins in the court musicians of King Richarde IV in the late 15th century. A great patron of the arts, Richarde IV started a tradition of royal sponsorship of developing musicians and composers, continuing well into the 19th century and even today. Early Helvoran composers, such as Michael d'Astaigne (known for his extensive collection of cyclical chorales) and English-born Gregory de Purciville (believed to be the composer of the first Helvoran opera - 'Le Roisinne Ferre')were all court composers.

Photograph of Richarde de Vois, one of Helvore's most prolific and well-known composers.

Whilst most modern Helvoran popular music is in English, there is a significant sector of Helvoran-language contemporary music which has arisen over the past few decades. Pop singers and bands like Divida, Le Prayer Rouge, Matthias and Madeleine Sortéë have achieved some international fame over the past decade. Electronic music has also gained some popularity with the growth of music groups like D-Day and Blaze-Paskaal.

Contemporary Helvore also promotes the development of all kinds of music, with annual music festivals held throughout the country. La Rebellion, an eclectic contemporary music festival which has been held in Carsonne since 1983, has become world famous as a celebration of some of the best up and coming musicians, with bands like Metallica, AC/DC, and Guns and Roses having performed there among others. Performance halls are ubiquitous in all Helvoran cities, performing both classical and contemporary music alike.

Cuisine:

Bourgoit, a staple wine from the Erinier region in Helvore, is a major Helvoran export.

Helvoran cuisine differs greatly depending on the region of the country where the food is produced. Southern Helvoran cuisine, being influenced by that of the Spanish, places an emphasis on light meals combining meat and vegetables and using spices to enrich the flavour. Fish is also common in Southern Helvoran cooking, with the most famous dish from the region, Stoue Grenliviche, consisting of a variety of fresh salad vegetables, spices, Grenlivichian Bass, and the distinct Sauce Soudeof the Grenliviche region.

'Stoue Grenliviche', a traditional dish from the South of Helvore.

In the North-East of Helvore, Cassoulet and Casseroles are common dishes, with hearty meats and root vegetables, typically stewed in wine and stock. North-west, meats by themselves or served with salads or seasonal vegetables form a staple part of their cuisine, whilst in central and eastern Helvore, traditional cooking tends to be somewhat mixed. In Roixterre and other major cities, Asian and other European cuisines have developed strong footholds as contemporary Helvoran cuisine becomes more eclectic.

The production and consumption of wine is also a staple part of Helvoran cuisine, with red wines Vaitérouge and Bourgoit (from Voulier and Erinier respectively), and the fortified Guederlaise (also from Erinier) forming a large portion of Helvoran agricultural exports and often accompanying traditional Helvoran meals.

Cinema:

The film industry within the Kingdom of Helvore is largely dominated by Hollywood films, dubbed in Helvoran, with a small percentage of locally produced Helvoran films. Most Helvoran films are themselves produced by the joint French and Helvoran governmental Championnat du Cinéma Français et Elvoir, or CCFE (English: League of Joint Helvoran and French Cinema), which funds the production of films in both countries and is one of the most successful film production companies in Europe.

Many newspapers within Helvore have had a long past and continue to remain somewhat popular today, despite a decrease in the number of readers over the past decade. Notable newspapers include La Sephyre(with around 300,000 copies sold daily), Le Meterépolitaine, and Le Meridian(with the latter two selling around 200,000 copies selling daily).

Political magazines also have a significant following, with the left wing Le Socialiste Áprésente, right wing L'Axis, and commentary magazine Politiques Nouveux. Women's and fashion magazines are also popular, with Le Madelainehaving foreign editions as well. French imported fashion magazines, such as ELLE and Marie Claire, are also quite popular.

Sports:

Logo of the Helvoran football team C. F. Syon, winner of the 2016 La League.

Popular sports in Helvore include football (soccer), rugby, tennis, basketball, and palanque. Football is by far the most popular sport within Helvore, with every major city having at least two premier league teams. Helvore hosts the annual La Leaguefootball cup, wherein football teams within the Kingdom of Helvore (including overseas territories) compete. Helvore has also participated in the FIFA World Cup, coming first in 2006 and in 1998. Tennis is also quite popular in Helvore, with the annual Calibourne Open, one of the five world Grand Slam tournaments.

Helvore has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, once in Roixterre in 1988, and once in Rhythe in 1956, and the Winter Olympic Games thrice, twice in St. Michael in 1964 and 1998, and once in Rossia in 1952. Helvoran athletes have received over 2,000 medals throughout it's participation in the Olympic Games, winning 489 gold medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics.